Customs and Cooking

In any race, you can feel that excitement just before the race begins. Whether it is NASCAR when you hear, "Drivers... Start your engines!" Or how about the Olympic 100 meter dash, when the runners are preparing themselves in the starting blocks. You feel the tension... Now, think about when Customs sends an importer an audit notification. The letter is basically advising and calling out to the importer to: Get Ready! Prepare your internal team to begin, what could be, quite a detailed and exhausting process. Prepare the mindset of how the verification will be handled. Engage the proper external resources to navigate the audit process. (Even the best racers need a pit crew and a coach.) And then the race begins. Have you ever seen a runner just remain in the starting blocks? Did you experience a race as an observer where the car just stayed in the park position on the race track? Then why are there numerous instances where an importer just disregards an audit notification? Or...

There are some dishes that cannot be frozen or should not be kept in the fridge to be used as leftovers the next day. On the other hand, some types of leftovers can be used for snacks or even meals (i.e.: as part of the packaged lunches prepared for the kids) the next day. Two dishes that I recently made were a BIG hit and the leftovers were enjoyed for several days. Hot dogs in a blanket recipe https://jamiegeller.com/recipes/pigs-in-a-blanket/  (I also sautéed some onions mixed with paprika and added them next to the hot dog before rolling up the dough.)  Smoked Turkey Salad Recipe Adapted from the recipe that can be reviewed in https://www.amazon.ca/Kosher-Palette-Kushner-Academy-Yeshiva/dp/0967663806 (page 56) 1 head of romaine lettuce chopped 1/2 lbs of smoked turkey cut into cubes 1/4 cup of shredded carrots Dressing for salad 1/4 cup oil 1/4 cup sugar 1/4 cup mayo 3 cloves of minced garlic 2 fresh chives (green onions) chopped 1 tablespoon of parsley (can be freshly cho...

After the holidays, I sit back and reminisce about  all the great food that we ate. Although this past year may have been one where the festivities were celebrated only with immediate family (due to the current world circumstances), usually the vast selections and variety of food served was still vast and the choices extensive. Slow cooked chuck roast with gravy and vegetables (see pictures) were some of the dishes that I prepared and the feedback was very positive. The Chuck Roast Recipe can be reviewed at: https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/melt-in-your-mouth-chuck-roast/  Once the holidays are over and (for those that choose to do so) new year resolutions are undertaken, the first thought is that maybe some intermittent fasting, a "cleanse" and some exercise would not be so bad. All of these drastic changes may not work if they are undertaken immediately, all at once and quickly. However, if healthy habits are undertaken systematically the chances of success rises exponen...

Can you imagine? You walk into your friend's house or even the home of a relative. Waltz straight into the kitchen. Start rummaging for an apron. Place pots and pans on the stove top. Collect ingredients from the pantry, fridge and various other locations. Bring in items you purchased into the kitchen and... ...begin to cook. No introduction. No requesting permission. No inquiries about food allergies or if certain utensils can be used. Quite rude and intrusive. Now, think about receiving documents from a vendor. If the goods are being imported, most likely the vendor is located outside of your Customs jurisdiction. Therefore, the documents set up by the vendor will most likely reflect regulations governed by the exporting jurisdiction and not necessarily the jurisdiction into which the goods will be imported. Well, then how can the importer rely on the information provided by the vendor? Is the HS code accurate? Are the terms of sale describing the actual transaction that took pla...